Washtenaw County Farm Bureau will join other organizations across the country to celebrate agriculture’s important role in daily life as part of National Ag Week March 10-16 and Ag Day on Thursday, March 14. Local events and activities are designed to raise awareness about the many ways America’s farmers provide food, fiber and fuel for our communities, our nation and the world. This year’s theme is “Agriculture: Food for Life”.
This year also marks the 100-year anniversary of Farm Bureau. During Ag Week and beyond, Washtenaw County Farm Bureau will be “Celebrating over a Century of Agriculture” with photo displays and narratives of some of the 150 Centennial and Sesquicentennial farms in our county.
It’s become an annual tradition to welcome the first Washtenaw County baby born during National Ag Week, with a basket of baby clothes and nursery supplies donated to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
The county Farm Bureau is also providing local restaurants with agriculture-themed placemats and “table tents” depicting farming facts and highlighting some of our centennial farms and families. We are delighted that each year more restaurants partner with us. Participating this year in ANN ARBOR: Uptown Coney on Jackson Rd, Alpha Koney Island (in Oak Valley Center), Culver’s and Tippin’s; CHELSEA: BigBoy, Smokehouse 52 BBQ, Arctic Breakaway, True North Jerky , Stivers, Uptown Coney Island; BRIDGEWATER: Bridgewater Bank Tavern; DEXTER: Aubree’s; MANCHESTER: Linda’s Diner, Frank’s Place, Two Black Sheep, Over the Edge Sports Bar and Pizzeria, Kellie’s; MILAN: Milan Coney Island; SALINE: Carrigan Café, City Limits, Salt Springs Brewery, Stoney Lake Brewery, Thompson Bar and Grill, Dan’s Downtown Tavern; YPSILANTI: Beezy’s Café in the Ypsilanti District Library Whittaker branch.
MyPlate posters featuring local farmers and producers will be displayed at the Busch’s Fresh Food Market in Saline. Agricultural-themed exhibits featuring farming facts and Washtenaw Centennial farms and families will be displayed in the window at Marti’s Salon in Manchester and in a downtown Saline storefront window.
The county Farm Bureau is also partnering with district libraries in Chelsea, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Dexter and the Ypsilanti Whittaker branch to showcase displays of Washtenaw County agriculture facts, books and brochures highlighting various types of farming, commodities and agriculturally-based careers. Several Ag-related children’s books will be donated to the libraries including this year’s American Farm Bureau Foundation’s book of the year: Right This Very Minute by: Lisl H. Detlefsen. There will also be Ag-themed trifolds at both branches of the Chelsea State Bank in Chelsea.
At Community Day Care and Preschool’s after-school programs at Lawton and Burn’s Park Elementary; students in “Kids Club” can choose to play Safety Bingo as a way to learn about farm and home safety. Game prizes will be ag-related, and students will snack on Michigan apples.
And finally, centennial farm families will be featured on social media sites wearing “Proud to Farm in Washtenaw County” t-shirts and sharing narratives about their farm’s history.
You can follow all the activities by visiting Washtenaw County Farm Bureau on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and looking for the many displays in the community. During National Ag Week, or any other time of the year, you can celebrate agriculture by thanking farmers for everything they do to provide us with fuel, fiber and “Food for Life” 365 days a year!
